Archive | November, 2014

Our featured car is the imposing Audi A6 you can see in the image. It’s a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo-diesel, in this case in S-Line trim with the S-Tronic auto ’box. It is fast yet frugal. It’s also lighter thanks to a steel/aluminium construction.

This is thanks to the Company’s new ’Ultra’ technology which brings hundreds of innovations together to deliver better efficiency, delivering more for less. The result is greater agility with lower fuel consumption and CO² emissions, aided by unobtrusive Stop/Start.

The engine powering the Ultra is a completely new development engineered for lean burning with no impact on performance and meeting stringent new Euro 6 emission standards.

The key upgrades include the amazing new 187bhp motor and the adoption of a revised seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A manual six-speed is also available. Our featured car had the added option of the MMI Navigation Plus Pack that includes a Driver Information System and a larger retractable screen than the 6.5” version offered as standard.

The car offers a quality feel that permeates the interior augmenting a classy executive exterior look. The A6 Ultra delivers a new dimension in fuel efficiency, low emissions and company driver appeal – that‘s the point. This is a car ideally suited to, and I suggest designed for, the business and fleet community with low VED and a 19% BIK rate.

The driving position is spot-on with plenty of head room and a wide range of adjustment. The dash is smart and feels robust. Rear legroom is generous even though there’s a large 530L boot. The A6 Ultra is easy to manoeuvre, despite its size, while good visibility and standard-fit parking sensors means slotting into a space is straightforward. The S-Tronic gearbox is pretty faultless but paddles are there for manual control and there’s a sport mode for extra performance – although there’ll be an economy penalty. You can’t have it both ways.

For a big car it handles well although I suspect though that most buyers will be looking at the car as an overall package rather than just for driving thrills. The Ultra range is a great addition to the Audi portfolio and any company car driver covering high annual mileage can only be impressed with its mix of efficiency, refinement and effortless performance.